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Community group buys 'first of many' buildings

Grace WoodYorkshire
People's Property Portfolio A historic stone archway connects two old brick buildings, with metal railings on top displaying the words THE OLD QUAKER SCHOOL. Behind the arch, a large multi-story stone building with rows of rectangular windows is visible under a partly cloudy blue sky. The scene features traditional architecture with warm-toned stonework and some greenery near the right side of the arch.People's Property Portfolio
The building was previously a Quaker school for boys

A community group has bought a Grade II listed building to run as a multi-purpose event space for creative organisations.

The 19th-Century building in Bradford city centre - formerly known as the Bradford Resource Centre – has been bought by People's Property Portfolio (PPP).

PPP is now fundraising to bring 17–21 Chapel Street, which is in the Little Germany conservation area, back into use.

PPP board director Harry Jelley said the group aspired to buy a "cluster of buildings across the city centre" that would "serve Bradford in a variety of ways".

He said: "Like with a lot of the city centre in Bradford there are buildings that aren't being used and we want to see this place flourish.

"We want to see it being used by cultural organisations, community organisers, we want it to be a mix of artists' studios, of workspace, we want it to serve the creative community in Bradford in whatever way they need it to serve them."

The building was originally a Quaker school for boys and dates back to 1830, and in 1979 was taken over by the support service Bradford Resource Centre, which vacated it in 2021.

People's Property Portfolio A group of people gathered outdoors on a cobblestone street in front of a large yellow skip placed against a tall brick wall. One person is sitting on top of the skip, while the rest stand or crouch in front of it. The surrounding area features old stone buildings with arched windows and doors, and a leafless tree on the left side.People's Property Portfolio
The People's Property Portfolio community group aims to develop social enterprise and support cultural activity

PPP is a community benefit society that acquires buildings, and 17–21 Chapel Street is its first purchase.

Mr Jelley said Bradford City of Culture had given the group a "moment to launch from".

He said: "We want it to be an events space, a place where the community in the city centre and beyond can come to gather for joy, for events and also to organise.

"We see City of Culture as a moment to launch from - to create a city centre that works for our creative sector. We've been completely community run while we've been doing this. We're all volunteers, it's a completely people-powered project."

PPP will work with Saltaire-based architectural practice 3XA to conserve the building's heritage features, and bring it back into a good state of repair.

It has raised £100,000 so far from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, Bradford Council, Architectural Heritage Fund, Cooperatives UK and Bradford Producing Hub.

Little Germany has a high concentration of Victorian buildings associated with German merchants who migrated to Bradford to work in the wool trade and built ornate warehouses for their businesses.

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